Collapsible structures having overlapping support loops

ABSTRACT

Collapsible structures are provided having at least two panels, with each of the panels having a flexible loop member defining a closed loop and adapted to assume an expanded position and a collapsed position, a fabric for partially covering the loop member, with the loop member substantially supporting the fabric in particular areas so that the fabric assumes the particular configuration of the loop member when in the expanded position of the loop member. The loop members of two adjacent first and second panels overlap each other at a first overlapping point along first edges of the loop members, and at a second overlapping point along second edges of the loop members, with the overlapping loop members defining a hinge portion about which the two loop members of the first and second panels are pivotable. The structure may include a third loop member having one side which is hingedly connected to one side of the first panel. The panels are foldable on top of each other about their respective hinge portions to have the loop members and their associated fabric overlaying each other, and the overlaying loop members are then collapsible to the collapsed positions by twisting and folding to form a plurality of concentric rings and layers of fabric to substantially reduce the size of the structure in the collapsed position.

RELATED CASES

This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/056,729, entitled"Collapsible Structures Having Overlapping Support Loops", filed Apr. 7,1998, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 09/004,829, entitled"Collapsible Structures Having Overlapping Support Loops", filed Jan. 9,1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,101, which is in turn acontinuation-in-part of Ser. No. 08/717,408, entitled "CollapsibleSunshields, Partitions and Shade Structures Having Overlapping SupportLoops", filed Sep. 20, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,265, whosedisclosures are incorporated by this reference as though fully set forthherein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sunshields, partitions and structures,and in particular, to collapsible sunshields, partitions, shadestructures and other structures supported by resilient loop membersmaintained in overlapping relationship with each other. Thesesunshields, partitions, and structures may be twisted and folded toreduce the overall size of the sunshield, partition or structure.

2. Background Art

A number of prior art sunshields are well-known for use, for example, inshielding the interior of an automobile from unwanted heat and sunlight.These sunshields may be positioned against an interior window surface,but are typically positioned against the windshield because of thedifficulty of retaining these sunshields against the other windowsurfaces. Examples of these sunshields are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No.4,815,784 to Zheng, U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,262 to Huang, and U.S. Pat. No.5,452,934 to Zheng. In each of these sunshields, one or more resilientloop members are used to support the sunshield in an expandedconfiguration. These sunshields may be twisted and folded to reduce theoverall size of the sunshield.

A number of prior art shade or tent structures have also been providedfor a wide variety of uses, such as for camping, for shade, or for playby children. Examples of these shade structures are illustrated in U.S.Pat. No. 3,990,463 to Norman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,892 to Norman, U.S.Pat. No. 5,038,812 to Norman, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,467,794 and 5,560,385both to the present inventor. Each of these shade structures also useone or more resilient loop members to support the structure in anexpanded configuration. These shade structures may be twisted and foldedto reduce the overall size of the shade structure.

In addition to sunshields and shade structures, there are also otherstructures that are provided for amusement purposes. Examples of suchstructures are illustrated in the present inventor's U.S. Pat. No.5,722,446. Each of these structures also use one or more resilient loopmembers to support the structure in an expanded configuration. Thesestructures may also be twisted and folded to reduce the overall size ofthe structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides basic principles which are effective inconstructing a wide variety of collapsible structures, such as but notlimited to sunshields, partitions, shade structures, amusementstructures, container structures and other structures that can betwisted and folded to reduce the overall size of the structure forconvenient transportation and storage. These collapsible structures havesimple constructions, are easy to use, and provide the user with muchvariety in use and play. In addition, these collapsible structures allowfor the stability and support of the structure and portions thereof tobe varied and adjusted to accomodate different shapes and sizes for thestructure, and to accomodate use in different applications. It is alsopossible to combine a plurality of the structures to provide structureshaving different sizes and configurations, thereby increasing thevariety of use and play.

The collapsible structures according to the present invention have atleast two panels, each of the panels having a flexible loop memberdefining a closed loop and adapted to assume an expanded position and acollapsed position, a fabric for partially covering the loop member,with the loop member substantially supporting the fabric in particularareas so that the fabric assumes the particular configuration of theloop member when in the expanded position of the loop member. The loopmembers of two adjacent first and second panels overlap each other at afirst overlapping point along first edges of the loop members, and at asecond overlapping point along second edges of the loop members, withthe overlapping loop members defining a hinge portion about which thetwo loop members of the first and second panels are pivotable.

The panels are foldable on top of each other about their respectivehinge portions to have the loop members and their associated fabricoverlaying each other, and the overlaying loop members are thencollapsible to the collapsed positions by twisting and folding to form aplurality of concentric rings and layers of fabric to substantiallyreduce the size of the structure in the collapsed position.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the structure includes athird loop member having one side which is hingedly connected to oneside of the first panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a sunshield according to an embodimentof the present invention illustrated in an expanded configuration;

FIG. 1B is a top plan view of the sunshield of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a perspective cut-away sectional view of the sunshield of FIG.1A taken along section 2--2 thereof;

FIG. 2A is perspective exploded view illustrating one embodiment of howthe fabric pieces are deployed in the resilient loop members of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2B a perspective cut-away sectional view of the loop member andfabric of FIG. 2A taken along section B--B thereof;

FIG. 2C is perspective exploded view illustrating another embodiment ofhow the fabric pieces are deployed in the resilient loop members of FIG.1A;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the resilient loop members that can beused to support the sunshield of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the sunshield of FIG. 1A positionedbehind an automobile windshield;

FIGS. 5A through 5E illustrate how the sunshield of FIG. 1A may betwisted and folded for compact storage;

FIG. 5F illustrates the resilient loop members of FIG. 3 in a foldedposition illustrating how the loop members are folded to provide for twosets of three loop portions to thereby substantially reduce the sizethereof;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a structure according to yet anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a structure according to a furtherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate how the different panels of the structure of FIG.8 may be folded upon each other prior to twisting and folding forcompact storage;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a structure according to yet a furtherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration, which represents a modification to the structure FIG. 8;

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration, which represents a modification to the structure of FIG.11;

FIG. 11B illustrates the section of the structure of FIG. 11A at theoverlapping points and the stitch line;

FIG. 11C illustrates an alternative embodiment of the section of thestructure of FIG. 11A at the overlapping points and the stitch line;

FIG. 11D illustrates a canopy deployed with the structure of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIGS. 12B-12D illustrate how the different panels of the structure ofFIG. 12A may be folded upon each other prior to twisting and folding forcompact storage;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration, which represents a modification to the structure of FIG.12A;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 14A is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration, which represents a modification to the structure of FIG.14;

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration, which represents a modification to the structure of FIG.14A;

FIG. 14C is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration, which represents a modification to the structure of FIG.14B;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a structure according to a furtherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 16A is a cross-sectional view of a first preferred connectionbetween two adjacent panels of the structure of FIG. 12A taken alongline 16--16 thereof;

FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view of a second preferred connectionbetween two adjacent panels of the structure of FIG. 12A taken alongline 16--16 thereof;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration;

FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 20; and

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a structure according to anotherembodiment of the present invention illustrated in an expandedconfiguration.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratinggeneral principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims.

The principles of the present invention are applicable to sunshields,partition structures and other structures, including shade structures,container structures, and amusement structures, and shall be describedherein in connection with such structures. However, it will beappreciated by those skilled in the art that the principles of thepresent invention are not so limited and can be applied to otherstructures for many different uses.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a structure 20 according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, which may be used as a sunshield. The sunshield 20 isformed by two resilient loop members 22 and 24 that together define theouter boundary of the sunshield 20. Referring to FIG. 3, each loopmember 22 and 24 is provided as a closed resilient loop, either as aclosed continuous loop or as a strip of material with both ends heldtogether by a retaining connector or other conventional attachmentmechanism to form a closed loop. The resilient loop members 22 and 24are preferably made from a relatively strong springy material which isflexible enough to allow it to be coiled. The preferred material for theloop members 22 and 24 includes flat spring steel stock, and inparticular, stainless steel, although plastic may also be used. Eachclosed loop member 22 and 24 is preferably substantially equal in sizeand symmetrically disposed, but it will be appreciated by those skilledin the art that the resilient loop members 22 and 24 may assume anyvariety of shapes and sizes, including but not limited to circular oroval. Both resilient loop members 22 and 24 can even be provided indifferent sizes.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the two loop members 22 and 24 are fittedwithin each other, and overlap or cross-over each other at overlappingpoints 26 and 28. The overlapping point 26 is defined by theintersection or crossing of the upper edges 30 and 34 of loop members 22and 24, respectively, and the overlapping point 28 is defined by theintersection or crossing of the lower edges 32 and 36 of loop members 22and 24, respectively. The overlapping points 26 and 28 can be positionedanywhere along the upper edge 30 or lower edge 32 of the loop member 22,and anywhere along the upper edge 34 or lower edge 36 of the loop member24. FIG. 1A illustrates the overlapping points 26 and 28 provided nearthe adjacent side edges of the two loop members 22 and 24. The twooverlapping loop members 22 and 24 are pivotable about their overlappingpoints 26 and 28 between two positions, a first completely open position(see FIG. 1B) in which both loop members 22 and 24 lie flat in the sameplane and extend to the widest longitudinal length of the sunshield 22,and a second folded position in which the loop members 22 and 24 arefolded towards each other (such as in the direction of arrows 70a and70b in FIG. 1) to overlie each other. The sunshield 20 is normallydeployed at the windshield of an automobile when in the first completelyopen position, and the sunshield 20 is deployed to the second foldedposition as a first step towards folding and collapsing the sunshield 20into a smaller size, as described in greater detail hereinbelow.

Each loop member 22 and 24 is retained in a loop retaining portion ofone or more fabric pieces. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, two fabricpieces 40 and 42 are provided, one for each loop member 22 and 24,respectively. Each fabric piece 40 and 42 completely covers, and forms apanel 52 or 54 within, the respective loop member 22 or 24, and ispreferably held in tension with the loop member 22 or 24. One side ofeach fabric 40, 42 may used as the window-facing side of the sunshield.

The fabric pieces 40 and 42 are preferably made from a sheet materialwhich is effective in reflecting and blocking light and heat fromentering the interior of the automobile, and may be made from sheetfabric, woven fabric, PVC, metal foil, and even films. A layer ofmetallized fabric or other reflective material may be added to thewindow-facing sides of the fabric 40, 42 to further aid in reflectingand blocking light and heat. A less expensive, though less effective,alternative is to choose a white fabric as the reflective surface. Inaddition, the window-facing sides may be provided with a different colorso that the user can easily recognize it.

The loop retaining portions are preferably provided in the form of asleeve for retaining the loop members 22 and 24. The loop members 22 and24 may be retained at the loop retaining portions by a number ofdifferent methods. In a first preferred method, which is illustrated inFIGS. 1-3, a sleeve 44 may be formed by folding a peripheral edge of thefabric 40 or 42 over the loop member 22 or 24 and then applying astitching (such as designated by numeral 46), or by providing aseparately-formed tubular sleeve that is stitched along the same stitchline 46 to the fabric 40, 42. Under this first method, the loop members22 and 24 may be left free and unsecured within the sleeves 44. In asecond preferred method, the loop members 22 and 24 may be mechanicallyfastened, glued or fused to the sleeve 44 or the fabric 40, 42. Otherconventional methods may be used without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

The loop members 22 and 24 should not be connected or attached at theoverlapping points 26 and 28 so as to allow the loop members 22 and 24to pivot about these points. The structure of the sleeve 44 at theoverlapping points 26 and 28 can be provided in one of several ways. Ina first alternative illustrated in an exaggerated sense in FIG. 3, asmall portion of the sleeves 44 for both loop members 22 and 24 may beinterrupted or disconnected adjacent the overlapping points 26 and 28 soas to expose the loop members 22 and 24 at these overlapping points 26and 28. As a second alternative, the sleeves 44 for both panels 52 and54 can be connected to each other to form a "+" or cross-shaped sleeveportion at the overlapping points 26 and 28 (see FIG. 2). As a thirdexample, the respective sleeves 44 for both panels 52 and 54 can rununinterrupted throughout the closed loop of the loop members 22 and 24.Thus, the loop members 22 and 24 pivot about the overlapping points 26and 28 in the two directions illustrated by arrow 48 in FIG. 2, with theoverlapping points 26 and 28 together acting as a hinge mechanism whenthe loop members 22 and 24 are pivoted about these points 26 and 28 atthe same time. To better define the overall hinge mechanism created bythe overlapping portions 26 and 28, this hinge mechanism may optionallyinclude a stitch line 50 along which the two fabric pieces 40 and 42 arestitched together. The stitch line 50 extends from one overlapping point26 to the other overlapping point 28, and assists in maintaining theloop members 22 and 24 at about the same overlapping points 26 and 28even though the loop members 22 and 24 are not connected or attached toeach other. Thus, the two side panels 52 and 54 defined by the loopmembers 22 and 24, respectively, may also be hinged and pivoted aboutthe stitch or pivot line 50.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, the first fabric piece 40 can be provided inthe form of a single piece of fabric that spans the space between theloop member 22. The second fabric piece 42 can be provided in the formof two separate portions of fabric, 42a and 42b. Each separate portion42a, 42b has an inner edge 43a, 43b, respectively, that does not have,or is not attached to, a sleeve 44, but is instead stitched or otherwiseattached to the first fabric 40 to form the stitch line 50. This isillustrated in greater detail in FIG. 2B, where a small strip 45 of theinner edge 43b is folded and stitched to the first fabric 40. It shouldbe noted that although FIGS. 2A and 2B appear to show that the loopmember 24 has been separated, this is not true since the loop member 24is illustrated in this manner because of the exploded nature of theseillustrations. Only the fabric portions 42a and 42b are separated, andas shown in greater detail in FIG. 2B, the loop member 24 extends overthe overlapping points 26 and 28.

FIG. 2C illustrates another technique of attaching the fabric pieces 40,42 to the loop members 22, 24. In this embodiment, only two fabricpieces 40x, 42x are provided, and each is adapted to span across andcover portions of both loop members 22, 24 (the loop members 22, 24 arenot shown in FIG. 2C). Specifically, the first fabric piece 40x has afirst portion 41a that covers or spans the majority of the first loopmember 22 and is folded along a fold line 49a to form a second portion47a that covers or spans a small portion of the second loop member 24.Similarly, the second fabric piece 42x has a first portion 41b thatcovers or spans the majority of the second loop member 24 and is foldedalong a fold line 49b to form a second portion 47b that covers or spansa small portion of the first loop member 22. The fold lines 49a, 49b canbe stitched together to form the stitch line 50.

It will also be appreciated that the loop retaining portion or sleeve 44can be provided either at the periphery of the fabric 40 and 42, asshown in FIGS. 1-3, or at a portion of the fabric 40 and 42 interiorfrom the periphery. The only requirement is that the loop members 22 and24 be positioned so that they can sufficiently support the sunshield 20to effectively cover the automobile window or sunshield.

It will be appreciated that suction cups 56 can be optionally positionedanywhere on the window-facing sides of the fabric 40 and 42. Further, itwill be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other conventionalattachment devices, such as snaps or VELCRO™, may be used in place ofthe suction cups 56 without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates the sunshield 20 in position against a windshield 58.Although the operation of the sunshield 20 is shown in connection with awindshield, it is understood that the sunshield 20 can also be usedeffectively in the same manner with side and rear windows. Thewindshield 58 is held in position by a frame 60 and the sunshield 20 ispositioned between a dashboard 62 and a ceiling 64 of the automobile.Visors 66 and the rear view mirror 68 may be used to provide support forthe sunshield 20 against the windshield 58, although it is understoodthat the visors 66 are not necessary if the suction cups 56 are used. Inmost cases, suction cups 56 alone are sufficient for retaining thesunshield 20 against the windshield 58 or any side window or rear windowwhere there are no overhanging visors. However, when used to cover awindshield 58, the visors 66 may also be flipped down to assist inretaining the sunshield 20 against the windshield 58. When the sunshield20 is to be stored, the sunshield 20 can be easily removed from thewindshield 58 by pulling the suction cups 56 from the windshield 58.These suction cups 56 can also be removably attached to the fabricpieces 40 and 42 so that worn-out or defective suction cups 56 can bereplaced after a period of use.

The shape of the loop members 22 and 24, and of the resulting sunshield20, is not important as long as they are sized and shaped so that theysufficiently support the sunshield 20 to effectively cover the entirewindshield 58. Any shape may be used, and a few examples are illustratedin my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,784 to Zheng, the entire disclosureof which is incorporated by this reference as though fully set forthherein. For example, the loop members 22 and 24 may be circular, oval,truncated circular, truncated oval, substantially rectangular, or anyother variety of shapes.

FIGS. 5(A) through 5(E) describe the various steps for folding andcollapsing the structure 20 of FIG. 1 for storage. The first stepconsists of folding the two loop members 22 and 24 toward each other (asshown by arrows 70a and 70b in FIG. 1) about the hinge mechanism of theoverlapping points 26 and 28, and the optional stitch line 50. When thetwo loop members 22 and 24 are folded together, the second step, shownin FIG. 5A, is to twist and fold the combined structure to initiallycollapse the loop members and fabric into a smaller diameter. As shownin FIG. 5B, the third step is to fold in the opposite side of thecombined structure upon the previous fold to further collapse thecombined loop members. As shown in FIG. 5C, the fourth step is tocontinue the collapsing so that the size of the structure is a fractionof the diameter of the initial structure. FIG. 5D shows the fifth stepwith the loop members 22, 24 and fabric panels 52, 54 collapsed on eachother to provide for a small essentially compact configuration having aplurality of concentric closed loop rings and layers of fabric so thatthe collapsed structure has a size which is a fraction of the originalsize of the structure.

In addition, referring to FIGS. 1 and 5E, a retaining member 72 may beattached to one end of the sunshield 20, and may be used to tie or holdthe collapsed sunshield 20 in the collapsed position. Alternatively, abag (not shown) may be used to store the collapsed sunshield 20.

FIG. 5F illustrates loop members 22 and 24 in the collapsed position.The structure of each loop member 22 and 24 essentially consists of twosets of three loop rings intertwined to lie flat. In the collapsedposition, the structure would have a diameter of less than twelveinches, which makes it easy to store the sunshield inside an automobile.

Although the structure 20 is illustrated as being a sunshield 20, thesame structure can be provided in larger sizes and used as a partitionor for other uses. For example, the structure 20, as shown in FIG. 1with the lower edges 32 and 36 of the loop members 22 and 24,respectively, resting on a flat surface, such as the ground, can be usedas a partition. The panels 52 and 54 would act as the walls of thepartition, with the interconnecting hinge mechanism acting as apivotable corner of the partition. This interconnecting hinge mechanismwould be disposed substantially vertically, or perpendicular to theground. When used as a partition, the size and configuration of the loopmembers 22 and 24, and therefore the panels 52 and 54, respectively, arenot limited to the size and shape of a windshield and can therefore bevaried. In addition, the overlapping points 26 and 28 can be positionedalong different parts of the upper and lower edges 30, 32, 34 and 36 ofthe loop members 22 and 24. These variations and modifications can bemade to suit the user's needs. As a non-limiting example, asubstantially "+" or cross-shaped partition can be defined bypositioning the overlapping points 26 and 28 at substantially thecenters of the upper and lower edges 30, 32, 34 and 36 of the loopmembers 22 and 24, or at points between the center and the side edges ofthe upper and lower edges 30, 32, 34 and 36, as shown in FIG. 3. Thiswill provide a partition which defines four separate non-enclosedspaces. In addition, the angle A (see FIG. 2) between the panels 52 and54 can be varied between 1 degree and 180 degrees to vary theconfiguration of the partition and the size of the space defined betweenthe panels 52 and 54. Other alternatives can be provided andmodifications made without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

Partitions and sunshields having more than two loop members and panelscan also be provided according to the present invention. Referring toanother embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 6, apartition or sunshield 100 has three separate panels 102, 104 and 106,each defined by a loop member (not shown) and having the sameconstruction as panels 52 and 54 and loop members 22 and 24 describedabove. Panels 102 and 104 are interconnected at the overlapping points108, 110 and stitch line 112 by overlapping their respective loopmembers in the manner described above. Similarly, panels 104 and 106 areinterconnected at the overlapping points 114, 116 and stitch line 118 byoverlapping their respective loop members, also in the manner describedabove.

FIG. 6 shows the structure 100 in use as a partition, with the loweredges 124, 126 and 128 of the panels 102, 104 and 106, respectively,resting on the ground, and the interconnecting hinge mechanisms (i.e.,the optional stitch line 112 and the overlapping points 108 and 110, andthe optional stitch line 118 and the overlapping points 114 and 116)disposed vertically. The angle B between the panels 102 and 104, and theangle C between the panels 104 and 106, can be varied by pivoting theinterconnecting hinge mechanisms. When the structure 100 is to be usedas a sunshield, the panels 106 and 102 are folded in the directionsindicated by arrows 120 and 122, respectively, so that the three panels102, 104 and 106 lie flat in the same plane. To fold and collapse thethree panels 102, 104 and 106, the panels 106 and 102 are folded towardthe panel 104 in the directions indicated by arrows 130 and 132,respectively, so that the three panels 102, 104 and 106 overlie eachother to form one stack of panels. The folding and collapsing stepsillustrated in FIGS. 5A-5E can be used to fold and collapse thestructure 100 into a size which is a fraction of the original size ofthe structure.

FIG. 7 is a modification 100a of the partition or sunshield 100 of FIG.6. The structure 100a is essentially the same as the structure 100,except that the panels 102a and 104a are interconnected at overlappingpoints 108a, 110a and stitch line 112a which are at a different positionalong the edge 124a of panel 102a. FIG. 7 shows the structure 100a inuse as a partition, with the lower edges 124a, 126a and 128a of thepanels 102a, 104a and 106a, respectively, resting on the ground, and theinterconnecting hinge mechanisms disposed vertically. When the structure100a is to be used as a sunshield, the panels 106a and 102a are foldedin the directions indicated by arrows 120a and 122a, respectively, sothat the three panels 102a, 104a and 106a lie flat in the same plane. Tofold and collapse the three panels 102a, 104a and 106a, the panels 106aand 102a are folded toward the panel 104a in the directions indicated byarrows 130a and 132a, respectively, so that the three panels 102a, 104aand 106a overlie each other to form one stack of panels. The folding andcollapsing steps illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5E can be used to fold andcollapse the structure 100a into a size which is a fraction of theoriginal size of the structure.

It is noted that the structures 20, 100 and 100a in FIGS. 1, 6 and 7,respectively, can be used as mats or panels that are laid flat on theground. For example, the loops 22, 24 and their respective fabrics 40,42 of the structure 20 can be opened until both the loops 22, 24 aregenerally parallel to each other, and then placed flat on a surface tooperate as a mat, carpet, or similar object. As another example, oneloop 22 and its fabric 40 can be placed flat on the ground and the otherloop 24 and its fabric 42 supported at an angle to operate as aninclined back rest. These same principles can be applied to thestructures 100, 100a.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment in which a structure 140 has fourseparate panels 142, 144, 146 and 148, each defined by a loop member(not shown) and having the same construction as panels 52 and 54 andloop members 22 and 24 described above. Panels 142 and 144 areinterconnected at the overlapping points 150, 152 and stitch line 154 byoverlapping their respective loop members in the manner described above.Similarly, panels 144 and 146 are interconnected at the overlappingpoints 156, 158 and stitch line 160, panels 146 and 148 areinterconnected at the overlapping point 162 and stitch line 166, andpanels 142 and 148 are interconnected at the overlapping points 168, 170and stitch line 172. FIG. 8 shows the structure 140 in use as apartition, with the lower edges 174, 176, 178 and 180 of the panels 142,144, 146 and 148, respectively, resting on the ground, and the fourinterconnecting hinge mechanisms disposed vertically. The angles betweenadjacent panels of the partition 140 can be varied by pivoting theinterconnecting hinge mechanisms. Openings 196 can be provided in one ormore of the panels 142, 144, 146, 148 to provide ingress and egress.

To fold and collapse the four panels 142, 144, 146 and 148, panels 142and 144 are pushed against panels 148 and 146, respectively, in thedirection of arrow 182 shown in FIG. 9A so that the four panels 142,144, 146 and 148 take the configuration shown in FIG. 9B, with panels142 and 148 overlying each other and panels 144 and 146 overlying eachother. During this first pushing step, the respective interconnectinghinge mechanisms (which include the optional hinge stitches 154, 160,166 and 172 and their respective overlapping points) are pivoted. Onepair of overlaying panels 142, 148 or 144, 146 is then folded over theinterconnecting hinge mechanisms defined in part by hinge stitches 154and 166 in the direction of arrow 184 in FIG. 9B, so that the fourpanels 142, 144, 146 and 148 overlie each other to form one stack ofpanels as shown in FIG. 9C. The folding and collapsing steps illustratedin FIGS. 5A-5E can be used to fold and collapse the structure 140 into asize which is a fraction of the original size of the structure.

The partition 140 can also be provided with a roof 198 (shown in FIG.11) so that it can be used as a collapsible shade structure or tent 202.For example, a fabric panel can be stitched or otherwise connected byknown methods to the upper edges 188a, 190a, 192a and 194a of the panels142a, 144a, 146a and 148a, respectively, so that the four panels 142a,144a, 146a and 148a and the fabric roof 198 define an enclosed interiorspace. Openings 196a can be provided in one or more of the panels 142a,144a, 146a and 148a to provide ingress and egress. In addition, anotherfabric or other material can be stitched or otherwise connected by knownmethods to the lower edges 174a, 176a, 178a and 180a of the panels 142a,144a, 146a and 148a, respectively, to define a floor 200a for the shadestructure. The shade structure 202 is folded and collapsed in the samemanner described above for partition 140. Even though the structures 140and 202 are shown as having four panels, it is possible to provide thestructures 140 or 202 (used as a partition, shade structure, or otheruse) with three panels interconnected to each other according to theprinciples of the present invention.

FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate additional modifications and benefits of thestructures according to the present invention. FIG. 11A illustrates astructure 202b that is similar to the structure 202 of FIG. 11, exceptthat the panels 142a, 144a, 146a and 148a are shaped differently frompanels 142b, 144b, 146b and 148b in FIG. 11A. The elements of thestructure 202 that are the same as the elements of the structure 202bare provided with the same numeral designations except that a "b" hasbeen added to the numeral designations in FIGS. 11A-11D. Each of thepanels 142b, 144b, 146b and 148b has a curved outer configuration andoverlap adjacent panels at opposing ends. The curved nature of the sidesof these panels 142b, 144b, 146b and 148b allows the overlapping points(such as 150b and 152b shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C) to be configuredslightly differently from the overlapping configurations illustratedhereinabove.

FIG. 11B illustrates the section of structure 202b at the overlappingpoints 150b, 152b and the stitch line 154b. Loop member 143 is the loopmember that supports panel 142b, and loop member 145 is the loop memberthat supports panel 144b. The curved nature of the sides of these panels142b, 144b, 146b and 148b also allows the overlapping loop members (suchas 143 and 145) to cross or overlap each other more naturally at theoverlapping points (such as 150b and 152b). Fabric portions 147 and 149for panels 142b and 144b, respectively, are still defined between thesides of the panels 142b, 144b and the stitch line 154b.

The configuration illustrated in FIG. 11B can be modified to theconfiguration shown in FIG. 11C. In FIG. 11C, the fabric portions 147,149 are omitted so that the sleeves 151 and 153 of the panels 142b and144b, respectively, can be stitched together by the stitch line 154b.

As explained throughout the disclosure, the overlapping or crossing of apair of loop members provides added stability and structural support tothe structure at the overlapping points. The configurations illustratedin FIGS. 11B and 11C allow the degree and nature of the stability andsupport to be varied and adjusted. In addition, the distance or degreeto which the fabric portions 147, 149 extend from the stitch line 154bcan be varied for many different purposes. For example, if theoverlapping points of the structure 202b is used to provide externalsupport for a canopy or roof 155, as shown in FIG. 11D, then the fabricportions 147, 149 can be made to extend a greater distance from thestitch line 154b to provide a larger shaded area under the canopy 155outside of the structure 202b. The canopy 155 can be a piece of fabricor other material having water-proof and/or heat-repelling properties.

The structure 202b can be folded and collapsed, as well as re-deployedto the fully expanded configuration, according to the same methodsutilized for the structure 140 described above in FIGS. 9A-9C.

In addition, it is possible to combine a plurality of the structures toprovide structures with different sizes and configurations, therebyincreasing the variety of use and play. As a non-limiting example, FIG.10 illustrates a structure 210 that is made up of two separatesubstantially "+" or cross-shaped structures 212 and 214 connected toeach other along adjacent side edges 216 and 220 of panels 226 and 224,respectively, and adjacent side edges 218 and 222 of panels 230 and 228,respectively. The connection along the side edges may be made permanentby applying stitching, or may be made detachable by using conventionaldetachable attachment devices, such as snaps, hooks or VELCRO™. Eachstructure 212 and 214 has two separate panels 224, 228 and 226, 230respectively, each connected by one interconnecting hinge mechanismwhich includes the overlapping points 232, 234, 238 and 240 and theoptional hinge stitches 236 and 242, according to the principlesdescribed hereinabove. The overall structure 210 may be a partitionstructure having one enclosed space and a plurality of othernon-enclosed spaces. Alternatively, fabric roofs may be stitched orotherwise connected to all portions, or certain specific portions, ofthe structures 212 and 214 to provide either a full or a partial shadestructure.

The principles of the present invention can also be used to extend thelength of a panel for a larger structure. For example, the individualmodule shown and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,385 can be elongatedby providing one of the side panels with a pair of overlapping panelsaccording to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 12A, a structure300 has a first end panel 302 and a second end panel 304 opposite to thefirst end panel 302. The structure further includes first and secondleft panels 306 and 308, and first and second right panels 310 and 312.

The first end panel 302 has a left side 314, a bottom side 316, a rightside 318 and a top side 320. The second end panel 304 has a left side322, a bottom side 324 (not shown), a right side 326 and a top side 328.The first left panel 306 has a left side 330, a bottom side 332, a rightside 334 and a top side 336. The second left panel 308 has a left side338, a bottom side 340, a right side 342 and a top side 344. The firstright panel 310 has a left side 346, a bottom side 348 (not shown), aright side 350 and a top side 352. The second right panel 312 has a leftside 354, a bottom side 356 (not shown), a right side 358 and a top side360.

Each end panel 302 and 304 has a continuous loop retaining sleeve 380provided along and traversing the four edges of its four sides. See FIG.16A. A continuous loop member 382, which can be the same as the loopmember 22 described above in connection with FIGS. 1-3, is retained orheld within each retaining sleeve 380 to support each end panel 302 and304. Fabric or sheet material extends across each end panel 302, 304 andis held taut by the respective loop member 382 when in its open orexpanded position. The loop members 382 may be merely retained withinthe respective retaining sleeves 380 without being connected thereto.Alternatively, the retaining sleeves 380 may be mechanically fastened,stitched, fused, or glued to the loop members 382 to retain them inposition.

Each pair of the left panels 306 and 308, and the right panels 310 and312, is connected in the same overlapping manner as the pair of panels52 and 54 described above in connection with FIGS. 1-3. Specifically,the left panels 306 and 308 are overlapped adjacent the left side 330 ofthe first left panel 306 and the right side 342 of the second left panel308 along stitch or pivot line 370, and the right panels 310 and 312 areoverlapped adjacent the left side 354 of the second right panel 312 andthe right side 350 of the first right panel 310 along stitch or pivotline 372. In addition, the left side 314 of the first end panel 302 ishingedly connected to the right side 334 of the first left panel 306,and the right side 318 of the first end panel 302 is hingedly connectedto the left side 346 of the first right panel 310. Similarly, the leftside 322 of the second end panel 304 is hingedly connected to the rightside 358 of the second right panel 312, and the right side 326 of thesecond end panel 304 is hingedly connected to the left side 338 of thesecond left panel 308.

FIG. 16A illustrates one structure and method for hingedly connectingthe left side 314 of end panel 302 and the right side 334 of the firstleft panel 306. The fabric pieces for each panel 302 and 306 arestitched at their edges by a stitching 384 to the respective sleeves380a for panel 302 and 380b for panel 306. In FIGS. 16A and 16B, loopmember 382a represents the loop member for panel 302 and loop member382b represents the loop member for panel 306. Each sleeve 380a, 380bmay be formed by folding a piece of fabric. The stitching 384 also actsas a hinge for the panels 302 and 306 to be folded upon each other, asexplained below. At the top side 320, 328 and the bottom side 316, 324of each end panel 302, 304, respectively, where there is no hingeconnection to an adjacent panel, the retaining sleeve 380 may be formedby merely folding over the corresponding fabric piece and applying astitching. The fabric piece for the corresponding end panel 302, 304 maythen be stitched to the sleeve 380.

FIG. 16B illustrates another structure and method for hingedlyconnecting the left side 314 of end panel 302 and the right side 334 ofthe first left panel 306. As in the connection of FIG. 16A, the fabricpieces are folded over at their edges at bottom sides 316 and 332, andat top sides 320 and 336, to define the respective sleeves 380. However,the retaining sleeves 380 for each panel 302, 306 converge at, or areconnected to, one sleeve portion which interconnects panels 302, 306 toform a singular retaining sleeve 386 which retains the loop members 382aand 382b. Sleeve 386 may be formed by providing a tubular fabric, or byfolding a piece of fabric, and applying a stitching 388 to its edges toconnect the sleeve 386 to the fabric pieces of the panels 302, 306.Stitching 388 acts as a hinge for the panels 302, 306. The other hingedconnections of adjacent sides may be identical to those illustrated ineither FIG. 16A or FIG. 16B.

FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate how the structure 300 can be folded andcollapsed into a smaller size. In the first step, the hinged connectionbetween the left side 314 of end panel 302 and the right side 334 of thefirst left panel 306 is pushed in (see arrow 400 in FIG. 12A) about thehinged connection so that end panel 302 collapses upon the first rightpanel 310 and the first left panel 306 is disposed generally parallel tothe second end panel 304 (see FIG. 12B). In the second step, the panels302 and 310 are then pivoted about the hinges defined by the stitch line372 and the hinged connection between the left side 314 of end panel 302and the right side 334 of the first left panel 306 (see arrow 402 inFIG. 12B) so that the panels 302 and 310 are collapsed onto the firstleft panel 306 (see FIG. 12C). At this point, the structure 300 has beenreduced to a structure that is about half the size of the originalstructure 300. In the third step, panels 304 and 312 are pushed in abouttheir hinged connection (see arrow 404 in FIG. 12D) such that end panel304 collapses upon second left panel 308 and second right panel 312collapses upon first left panel 306. Then, in the fourth step, the twocombined panels 304 and 308 are pivoted about the hinges defined by thestitch line 370 and the hinged connection between the left side 322 ofend panel 304 and the right side 358 of the second right panel 312 so asto be collapsed upon the stack of the other panels 312, 306, 302 and 310(in that order). This creates a single stack of the six panels 308, 304,312, 306, 302 and 310 (in that order). The folding and collapsing stepsillustrated in FIGS. 5A-5E can then be used to fold and collapse thisstack of panels into a size which is a fraction of the original size ofthe structure 300.

To deploy the structure 300 back to the expanded, fully deployedposition, the panels 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312 and their associatedloop members 382 are unfolded. The resiliency and spring force of theloop members 382 will cause the loop members 382, and their associatedpanels 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, to spring open to the expandedconfiguration. The different panels 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312 canthen be pivoted about their hinges to deploy the structure 300 in itsoriginal expanded configuration. The other structures described hereincan also be deployed to their respective expanded, fully deployedpositions by the resiliency and spring force of their respective loopmembers, which cause the loop members and their associated panels tospring open to the expanded configuration when the collapsed panels areunfolded.

As a result, the panels 302, 304, 306, 308, 310 and 312 are connected toeach other to define an enclosed space surrounded by four walls. Two ofthe shorter walls are defined by the end panels 302 and 304, while eachof the other two, longer, walls is defined by a pair of overlappedpanels 306 and 308, or 310 and 312. Thus, the overlapped panels 306, 308and 310, 312 operate to extend the length of the left and right sides ofstructure 300. This is advantageous over providing elongated left andright panels, since elongated panels can be difficult to grip, and tofold and collapse. By providing overlapping panels, the panels can befolded on to each other to initially reduce the overall size of theelongated sides, and the overlapped stack of panels can then be furtherfolded and collapsed to reduce the size of the structure 300. Inaddition, the overlapping portions of the overlapped panels providestructural stability to the extended sides formed by these overlappedpanels. In this regard, it is also possible to provide an elongated sidethat is comprised of three or more panels, such as illustrated inconnection with FIGS. 6 and 7. Further, the lengths, sizes and shapes ofthe overlapped panels can be varied. For example, the left panels 306,308 can have different sizes, with one being longer or larger than theother.

FIG. 13 illustrates the structure 300 modified for use as a container(e.g., a box). A floor 410 is provided in the form of a fabric that isstitched or otherwise connected to the bottom sides 316, 324, 332, 340,348 and 356 of the panels 302, 304, 306, 308, 310 and 312, respectively.In addition, a first lid 412 and a second lid 414 are provided. Each lid412 and 414 can take the form of a panel having a structure that is thesame as the end panels 302 and 304. One side 416 and 418 of the lids412, 414 is hingedly attached (using one of the structures and methodsillustrated in FIGS. 16A and 16B) to the top sides 352 and 360 of theright panels 310 and 312, respectively. Each lid 412, 414 is preferablysized and configured to cover the top of the space between opposingright and left panels. In addition, latching, attachment or lockingmechanisms can be provided to secure the lids 412, 414 against the topsides 336, 344 of the left panels 306, 308, respectively. Thus, theenclosed space can be used to hold or store any desired object(s). Tofold and collapse the structure 300 in FIG. 13, the lids 412 and 414 areadditionally folded over their hinged connections with the right panels310 and 312, respectively, to create a stack of eight panels that isfolded and collapsed according to the method described above inconnection with FIGS. 12A-12D and 5A-5E.

The principles of the structure 300 can be further utilized to providecollapsible structures for a wide variety of applications. One suchexample is illustrated by the shade structure 430 of FIG. 14, which issimilar to the structure 300, and has a first end panel 432, a secondend panel 434 opposite to the first end panel 432, first and second leftpanels 436 and 438, and first and second right panels 440 and 442. Thepanels 432, 434, 436, 438, 440 and 442 may be provided in slightlydifferent shapes and sizes when compared to the corresponding panels302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312 in structure 300, but these panels 432,434, 436, 438, 440 and 442 are otherwise structured and connected in thesame manner as the panels 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, respectively, instructure 300. In this regard, the first and second left panels 436 and438 are connected in an overlapping manner, and the first and secondright panels 440 and 442 are also connected in an overlapping manner. Inaddition, the end panels 432 and 434 are hingedly connected to theiradjacent left and right panels 436, 438, 440 and 442.

The shade structure 430 additionally includes a raised roof 444 which ismade from a fabric material connected to the top sides of the panels432, 434, 436, 438, 440 and 442. Since the left side 446 of the firstleft panel 436 and the right side 448 of the second left panel 438 arelonger than the right side 450 of the first left panel 436 and the leftside 452 of the second left panel 438, the center of the structure 300is higher so that the roof 444 becomes raised as it extends from the endpanels 432, 434 towards the center of the structure 300. An opening 454can be provided in one or both end panels 432, 434 to provide ingressand egress to the interior of the shade structure 300. An optional floor456, which can be made from a fabric material, can also be connected tothe bottom sides of the panels 432, 434, 436, 438, 440 and 442.

FIG. 14A illustrates a modification to the structure 430, in which allof the adjacent sides of all the panels 432a, 434a, 436a, 438a, 440a and442a are connected in an overlapping manner. The elements of thestructure 430a that are the same as the elements of the structure 430are provided with the same numeral designations except that an "a" hasbeen added to the numeral designations in FIG. 14A. Thus, the end panels432a and 434a are not hingedly connected to their adjacent left andright panels 436a, 438a, 440a and 442a, but are instead connected in anoverlapping manner.

FIG. 14B illustrates a modification to the structure 430a, in which theroof 444a has been removed, and the end panels 432b and 434b providedwith a different shape having a higher top edge and receiving a netting433 in the form of a basket on the inner sides of the end panels 432b,434b. The elements of the structure 430b that are the same as theelements of the structure 430a are provided with the same numeraldesignations except that a "b" has been added to the numeraldesignations in FIG. 14B. Thus, the structure 430b has been convertedinto an enclosed basketball court. A large door 435 can be provided in(e.g., cut from) the fabric of one of the side panels (e.g., 438b) toallow ingress and egress to and from the basketball court.

FIG. 14C illustrates a modification to the structure 430b that combinesthe principles of structures 430 and 430b. The elements of the structure430c that are the same as the elements of the structure 430b areprovided with the same numeral designations except that a "c" has beenadded to the numeral designations in FIG. 14C. Thus, the structure 430cis still an enclosed basketball court, as for structure 430b, but theend panels 432c and 434c are now hingedly connected to their adjacentleft and right panels 436c, 438c, 440c and 442c. In addition, nettings437 in the form of soccer or hockey goals can also be provided at bothend panels 432c, 434c so that the structure 430c can also be used as anenclosed soccer or hockey arena. These nettings 437 can be made out of ameshed netting-type material that extend outwardly through openings 439cut at the bottom of the end panels 432c, 434c.

The structures 430, 430a, 430b and 430c can be folded and collapsed, aswell as re-deployed to the fully expanded configuration, according tothe same methods utilized for the structure 300 described above.

As an additional example of how the principles of the structure 300 canbe further utilized to provide collapsible structures for a wide varietyof applications, FIG. 15 illustrates a collapsible arcade-like oramusement structure 500 which is similar to those described in thepresent inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,446. However, the structure 500provides two elongated side walls which are made up of two overlappingpanels. In particular, the structure 500 is similar to the structure300, and has a front panel 502, a rear panel 504, first and second leftpanels 506 and 508, and first and second right panels 510 and 512. Thepanels 502, 504, 506, 508, 510 and 512 may be provided in slightlydifferent shapes and sizes when compared to the corresponding panels302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312 in structure 300, but these panels 502,504, 506, 508, 510 and 512 are otherwise structured and connected in thesame manner as the panels 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, respectively, instructure 300. In this regard, the first and second left panels 506 and508 are connected in an overlapping manner, and the first and secondright panels 510 and 512 are also connected in an overlapping manner. Inaddition, the front and rear panels 502 and 504 are hingedly connectedto their adjacent left and right panels 506, 508, 510 and 512.

In addition, the left and right panels 506, 508, 510 and 512 areconfigured so that they slope or angle upwardly from the front panel 502towards the rear panel 504, so that the right side 516 of the first leftpanel 506 has a smaller vertical height than the left side 518 of thesecond left panel 508. The rear panel 504 is significantly higher thanthe other panels 502, 506, 508, 510, 512, and forms a backboard for abasket 520. The shade structure 500 additionally includes a top fabric522 which is connected adjacent to, but offset from and below, the topsides of the panels 502, 504, 506, 508, 510 and 512, so that it alsoslopes upwardly from the front panel 502 towards the rear panel 504. Anoptional floor 524, which can be made from a fabric material, can alsobe connected to the bottom sides of the panels 502, 504, 506, 508, 510and 512.

The structure 500 can be folded and collapsed, as well as re-deployed tothe fully expanded configuration, according to the same methods utilizedfor the structure 300 described above.

In using the amusement structure 500, the user may toss a ball (notshown) at the basket 520. All balls passing through the basket, orbounced off the backboard (i.e., the rear panel 504), will be returnedto the user at the front panel 502 because the sloping or angled natureof the top fabric 522 will cause the ball to roll towards the frontpanel 502. Since the top fabric 522 is offset from and below the topsides of the panels 502, 504, 506, 508, 510 and 512, the ball will beretained on top of the top fabric 522, but inside the confines of thepanels 502, 504, 506, 508, 510 and 512. Additional modifications andamusement features that can be used for the amusement structure 500 areillustrated and described in the present inventor's U.S. Pat. No.5,722,446, whose entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by thisreference as though fully set forth herein.

The principles of the present invention can further be applied to avariety of amusement structures. FIG. 17 illustrates a structure 600that has a first panel 610 and a second panel 612, each defined by aseparate loop member 602, 604, respectively, and having the sameconstruction as panels 52 and 54 and loop members 22 and 24 describedabove. Panels 610 and 612 are interconnected at overlapping points 606,608 and stitch line 614 by overlapping their respective loop members602, 604 in the manner described above.

The structure 600 further includes a left supporting fabric piece 616that is connected, such as by stitching, to most of the left side of thefirst panel 610 and the upper left side of the second panel 612, and aright supporting fabric piece 618 that is connected, such as bystitching, to most of the right side of the first panel 610 and theupper right side of the second panel 612. The fabric pieces 616 and 618define the limits to which the two panels 610, 612 can be pivoted awayfrom each other (i.e., pivoted away in the directions of arrows 620,622). An opening 624 is provided in the second panel 612 adjacent thestitch line 614. A pocket 626 is stitched or otherwise provided at thelower end of first panel 610. The pocket 626 can be made of a mesh orfabric material, and is adapted to receive a ball 628 that has passedthrough the opening 624. Specifically, a ball 628 that is tossed at thefirst panel 610 (e.g., at the "bulls-eye" 630) will hit the first panel610 and roll down the first panel 610 since the first panel 610 isangled. If the ball 628 rolls through the opening 624, it will continueto roll down the first panel 610 and be collected in the pocket 626.Otherwise, the ball 628 will be collected between the panels 610, 612 atthe stitch line 614.

FIG. 18 illustrates another amusement structure 700 that utilizes theprinciples of the present invention. The structure 700 has a first panel710 and a second panel 712, each defined by a separate loop member 702,704, respectively, and having the same construction as panels 52 and 54and loop members 22 and 24 described above. Panels 710 and 712 areinterconnected at overlapping points 706, 708 and stitch line 714 byoverlapping their respective loop members 702, 704 in the mannerdescribed above.

The structure 700 further includes a first end fabric piece 716 that isconnected, such as by stitching, to most of the left sides of the firstpanel 710 and the second panel 712, and a second end fabric piece 718that is connected, such as by stitching, to most of the right sides ofthe first panel 710 and the second panel 712. Each end fabric piece 716,718 extends or spans across the space defined by the extremities of theleft and right sides of the panels 710, 712 when the structure 700 is inthe fully deployed position with the panels 710, 712 fully expanded andpivoted about the overlapping points 706, 708. Each end fabric piece716, 718 can be provided in a one piece, or in four separate pieces. Forexample, the end fabric piece 716 can be made up of four separate pieces716a, 716b, 716c and 716d. The piece 716a extends between the two panels710, 712 below the overlapping point 706. The piece 716c extends betweenthe two panels 710, 712 above the overlapping point 706. Pieces 716b and716d extend along opposite exteriors of the left sides of the panels710, 712. The fabric pieces 716 and 718 define the limits to which thetwo panels 710, 712 can be pivoted away from each other (i.e., pivotedaway in the directions of arrows 720, 722).

In the structure 700, the overlapping points 706 and 708 are notsituated at the center of the left and right sides of the loop members702, 704. Instead, these overlapping points 706 and 708 are situatedbetween the center and the top of the left and right sides of the loopmembers 702, 704 so as to provide the structure 700 with a wider baseand a narrower top.

As a result, the panels 710, 712 and the fabric pieces 716 and 718define both an interior space below the stitch line 714, and a topreceiving well 726 above the stitch line 714. An opening 724 can beprovided in one or both end fabric pieces 716, 718 to allow ingress andegress to the interior of the structure 700. An optional floor 730,which can be made of fabric, can be stitched or otherwise connected tothe bottom sides of the panels 710, 712. In addition, the receiving well726 can be adapted to receive light objects 728 that can be tossed atthe receiving well 726. Thus, the structure 700 actually providesseveral play opportunities: the structure 700 can be used as a shadestructure, or as an amusement structure 700 with the user tossing lightobjects 728 into the receiving well 726.

FIG. 19 illustrates an amusement structure 700a that utilizes the basicprinciples embodied by the structure 700 in FIG. 18, but which includescertain modifications. The elements of the structure 700a that are thesame as the elements of the structure 700 are provided with the samenumeral designations except that an "a" has been added to the numeraldesignations in FIG. 19. The structure 700a includes a first panel 710aand a second panel 712a, each defined by a separate loop member 702a,704a, respectively, that are configured and overlapped in the samemanner as the panels 710, 712 and loop members 702, 704 of structure700. The difference between the structures 700 and 700a is that the endfabric pieces 716 and 718 in structure 700 are not provided in structure700a. Instead, a first upper fabric piece 717a is provided and extendsbetween the two panels 710a, 712a above the overlapping point 706a, anda second upper fabric piece 717b is provided and extends between the twopanels 710a, 712a above the overlapping point 708a. Each upper fabricpiece 717a, 717b is similar to the fabric piece 716c in structure 700,and functions to define the limits to which the panels 702a, 704a can bepivoted away from each other. In other words, the upper fabric pieces717a, 717b prevent the panels 702a, 704a from spreading outwardly sothat the structure 700a can be supported in an upright configuration ona floor or other surface. Optional lower fabric pieces 719a and 719b(not shown) can also be provided to extend for a short distance betweenthe two panels 710a, 712a below the overlapping points 706a and 708a,respectively, to accomplish the same function. As an alternative, theupper fabric pieces 717a and 717b can be omitted in lieu of the lowerfabric pieces 719a and 719b. As yet another alternative, instead of theupper and lower fabric pieces 717a, 717b, 719a, 719b, strings or straps(not shown) can be provided to connect the panels 710a, 712a, eitherslightly above and/or below the overlapping points 706a, 708a, orbetween the bottom edges 721 and 723 of the panels 710a and 712a,respectively, to accomplish the same function.

When the structure 700a is supported in its upstanding fully deployedconfiguration with both panels 710a, 712a in their fully expandedconfiguration, the bottom edges 721 and 723 of the panels 710a and 712a,respectively, contact the ground or surface. One or a plurality ofopenings 725 are provided in one or both panels 710a, 712a so that auser can toss a ball or other object through a selected one of theseopenings 725. The ball or object that passes through an opening 725 willbe deposited in the space between the panels 710a, 710b, from which theuser can then retrieve the ball or object. The panels 710a, 712a and theupper fabric pieces 717a and 717b define a top receiving well 726a abovethe stitch line 714a.

Thus, while structure 700 is primarily a shade structure, the structure700a provides a different type of amusement by allowing the user to tossobjects through the openings 725. The structure 700a can also be used asa shade structure by a user who positions himself or herself in theenclosed space under the overlapping panels 710a, 710b.

The structures 600, 700 and 700a can be folded and collapsed, as well asre-deployed to the fully expanded configuration, according to the samemethods utilized for the structure 20 described above. The fabric pieces616, 618, 716, 718 and the pocket 626 are made from a flexible materialthat will fold and collapse together with the fabric of the panels 610,612, 710, 712, 710a, 712a.

It is also possible to provide some of the connections of the adjacentsides of side panels with hinged connections and others with overlappingconnections to vary the structural stability and strength of thestructure at different parts of the structure. Referring to FIGS. 20 and21, the structure 750 utilizes principles from the structuresillustrated in FIGS. 11A and 14. Structure 750 is similar to structure202b of FIG. 11A in that structure 750 has four side panels 752, 754,756 and 758, but of the four connections between adjacent sides of sidepanels, two are hinged connections and two are overlapping.Specifically, the right side 760 of panel 752 is connected inoverlapping manner to the left side 762 of panel 754, the right side 764of panel 754 is connected in overlapping manner to the left side 766 ofpanel 756, the right side 768 of panel 756 is hingedly connected to theleft side 770 of panel 758, and the right side 772 of panel 758 ishingedly connected to the left side 774 of panel 752. A roof fabric 776may be attached to the top sides of the panels 752, 754, 756, 758.

Thus, the two overlapping connections between the sides 760 and 762, andsides 764 and 766, provides stronger structural support and stability tothe structure 750 on both sides 762, 764 of the panel 754, since theoverlapping connections tend to provide stronger support and stabilitythan the hinged connections, as explained hereinabove. The provision ofa combination of hinged and overlapping connections allows a largerstructure to be provided, since a large structure supported entirely byhinged connections may not be structurally strong and stable for certainapplications. On the other hand, hinged connections are less complex andless expensive to make, so it is desirable to provide hinged connectionsat certain side connections of structures in some applications where itis not necessary for all the connections to be overlapped. The result isthat the present invention provides principles which can be utilized toprovide structures that can be sized and configured to meet a widevariety of applications and needs. In this regard, although FIGS. 20 and21 illustrate a particular arrangement for the hinged connections andoverlapping connections, these hinged connections and overlappingconnections can be provided and arranged between the adjacent sides ofany of the panels 752, 754, 756, 758.

FIG. 22 illustrates another structure 140c that is similar to structure140 of FIG. 8, except that portions of the fabric materials for thepanels 142, 144, 146 and 148 have been omitted from panels 142c, 144c,146c and 148c in FIG. 11A, and a separate outer piece of enclosingfabric 141 is provided. The elements of the structure 140c that are thesame as the elements of the structure 140 are provided with the samenumeral designations except that a "c" has been added to the numeraldesignations in FIG. 22. The panels 142c, 144c, 146c and 148c ofstructure 140c are configured in the same manner as panels 142, 144, 146and 148 of structure 140, except that the openings 196 in structure 140have been enlarged so that only small fabric corner pieces 161 remain atthe corners of the top sides of the panels 142c, 144c, 146c and 148c andthe respective overlapping points 150c, 156c 162c and 168c adjacent thestitch lines 154c, 160c, 166c and 172c. Thus, the fabric in the panels142c, 144c, 146c, 148c between the stitch lines 154c, 160c, 166c, 172chas been removed, except for the corner pieces 161 that are provided tosupport the overlapping connections together. The fabric in the panels142c, 144c, 146c, 148c between the outer sides of the panels and thestitch lines 154c, 160c, 166c, 172c still remain, as indicated, forexample, by the fabric 163 between the outer side 165 of panel 144c andstitch line 154c. The corner pieces 161 are optional, and can betriangular, as shown in FIG. 22, and can assume any other shape asdesired, and can even be a strap or string.

A separate outer piece of enclosing fabric 141 extends around theperiphery of the structure 140c, and in particular, around the outersides (such as 165) of all the overlapped panels 142c, 144c, 146c 148c.The fabric 141 can be attached (e.g., by stitching) to the outer sidesof the panels 142c, 144c, 146c, 148c. Although the fabric 141 isillustrated in FIG. 22 as only extending along a middle section of theheight of the panels 142c, 144c, 146c, 148c, it is possible for thefabric 141 to completely cover the panels 142c, 144c, 146c, 148c, aswell as the top of the structure 140c.

Thus, the structure 140c provides an interior space that is greater thanthe interior space provided by structure 140 of FIG. 8. By essentiallyremoving the fabric in the panels 142c, 144c, 146c, 148c between thestitch lines 154c, 160c, 166c, 172c, and providing an enclosing fabric141, the interior space of the structure 140c is expanded to include theouter space defined by the fabric in the panels 142c, 144c, 146c, 148cbetween the outer sides (such as 165) of the panels and the stitch lines154c, 160c, 166c, 172c. Structure 140c also provides an additionalbenefit in that the overlapping connections provide increased stabilityand support while not decreasing interior space. This can be contrastedto the situation if the structure 140 were to have its panels hingedlyconnected to each other. The hinged connections would result in greaterinterior space (when compared to structure 140 of FIG. 8), but maysacrifice some stability if the size of the structure is large. Thestructure 140c is particularly well-suited for use as a large campingtent, and a partition for use at trade shows, among other uses.

As an alternative, the enclosing fabric 141 can extend around some butnot all of the panels 142c, 144c, 146c, 148c, thereby providing a walledenclosure at some regions of the structure 140c, and an opened area atthe other regions of the structure 140c.

The structure 140c can be folded and collapsed, as well as re-deployedto the fully expanded configuration, according to the same methodsutilized for the structure 140 described above. The enclosing fabric 141can be tucked between the panels 142c, 144c, 146c, 148c during thefolding and collapsing steps, and folded and collapsed together.

As illustrated in the non-limiting embodiments and examples above, theprinciples of the present invention can be applied to a large variety ofobjects, including but not limited to sunshields, partitions, shadestructures (which include tents), containers, sports structures, gamestrctures and amusement structures. These structures can also be used asplay structures (partitions, tents, shade structures, amusement games,etc.) for children and infants. When used for partitions, shadestructures and containers, the fabric is preferably made from strong,lightweight materials and may include woven fabrics, sheet fabrics oreven films. The fabric should be water-resistant and durable towithstand the wear and tear associated with rough treatment by children.The loop members can be made from the same materials described above forloop members 22 and 24.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be understood that many modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claimsare intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the truescope and spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A structure comprising:(a) a first panel, asecond panel, a third panel, and a fourth panel, each of the panelshaving:a flexible loop member defining a closed loop and having a firstedge and a second edge, the loop member adapted to assume an expandedposition and a collapsed position; a fabric that covers portions of theloop member; and a left side and a right side defined by the loopmember; (b) wherein the loop members of the first and second panelsoverlap each other at a first overlapping point along the first edges ofthe loop members of the first and second panels, and at a secondoverlapping point along the second edges of the loop members of thefirst and second panels, the overlapping loop members defining a hingeportion about which the first and second loop members of the first andsecond panels are pivotable; (c) wherein the loop members of the secondand fourth panels overlap each other at a third overlapping point alongthe first edges of the loop members of the second and fourth panels, andat a fourth overlapping point along the second edges of the loop membersof the second and fourth panels, the overlapping loop members defining asecond hinge portion about which the second and fourth loop members ofthe second and fourth panels are pivotable; and (d) wherein one side ofthe third panel is hingedly connected to one side of the first panel,and the other side of the third panel is hingedly connected to one sideof the fourth panel.
 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the loopmembers are foldable on top of each other about their respective hingeportions to have the loop members overlaying each other, and wherein theoverlaying loop members are collapsible to the collapsed positions bytwisting and folding to form a plurality of concentric rings and layersof fabric to substantially reduce the size of the structure in thecollapsed position.
 3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the hingeportion is positioned vertically with respect to the ground, and thesecond edges of the two loop members of the first and second panels reston the ground when the loop members are in the expanded position.
 4. Thestructure of claim 1, wherein the hinge portion further includes astitch line connecting the fabric of the two loop members and extendingfrom about the first overlapping point to about the second overlappingpoint.
 5. The structure of claim 1, wherein each panel further includesa loop retaining portion provided along the fabric for retaining theloop members.
 6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the loop retainingportion of the one side of the third panel is stitched to the loopretaining portion of the one side of the first panel to form the hingedconnection.
 7. The structure of claim 5, wherein the loop retainingportions of the first and third panels converge to form one sleeveportion for retaining and hinging the loop members of the first andthird panels to form the hinged connection.
 8. The structure of claim 1,wherein the first and second overlapping points are provided near theleft side of the first panel and near the right side of the secondpanel.
 9. The structure of claim 1, further comprising a roof panelattached to the first edges of the loop members of some of the panels.10. A structure comprising:(a) a first end panel, a second end panel,first and second left panels, and first and second right panels, each ofthe panels having:a flexible loop member defining a closed loop andhaving a first edge and a second edge, the loop member adapted to assumean expanded position and a collapsed position; a fabric that coversportions of the loop member; and a left side and a right side defined bythe loop member; (b) wherein the loop members of the left panels overlapeach other at a first overlapping point along the first edges of theloop members of the left panels, and at a second overlapping point alongthe second edges of the loop members of the left panels, the overlappingloop members of the left panels defining a first hinge portion aboutwhich the loop members of the left panels are pivotable; (c) wherein theloop members of the right panels overlap each other at a thirdoverlapping point along the first edges of the loop members of the rightpanels, and at a fourth overlapping point along the second edges of theloop members of the right panels, the overlapping loop members of theright panels defining a second hinge portion about which the loopmembers of the right panels are pivotable; (d) wherein the loop membersof the first right panel and first end panel overlap each other at afifth overlapping point along the first edges of the loop members of thefirst right panel and first end panel, and at a sixth overlapping pointalong the second edges of the loop members of the first right panel andfirst end panel, the overlapping loop members of the first right paneland first end panel defining a third hinge portion about which the loopmembers of the first right panel and first end panel are pivotable; and(e) wherein the loop members of the first left panel and first end paneloverlap each other at a seventh overlapping point along the first edgesof the loop members of the first left panel and first end panel, and ata eighth overlapping point along the second edges of the loop members ofthe first left panel and first end panel, the overlapping loop membersof the first left panel and first end panel defining a fourth hingeportion about which the loop members of the first left panel and firstend panel are pivotable.
 11. The structure of claim 10:(f) wherein theloop members of the first right panel and second end panel overlap eachother at a ninth overlapping point along the first edges of the loopmembers of the first right panel and second end panel, and at a tenthoverlapping point along the second edges of the loop members of thefirst right panel and second end panel, the overlapping loop members ofthe first right panel and second end panel defining a fifth hingeportion about which the loop members of the first right panel and secondend panel are pivotable; and (g) wherein the loop members of the firstleft panel and second end panel overlap each other at a eleventhoverlapping point along the first edges of the loop members of the firstleft panel and second end panel, and at a twelfth overlapping pointalong the second edges of the loop members of the first left panel andsecond end panel, the overlapping loop members of the first left paneland second end panel defining a sixth hinge portion about which the loopmembers of the first left panel and second end panel are pivotable. 12.The structure of claim 10, wherein the hinge portions positionedvertically with respect to the ground, and the second edges of the loopmembers of the panels rest on the ground when the loop members are inthe expanded position.
 13. The structure of claim 10, wherein the firsthinge portion further includes a stitch line connecting the fabric ofthe adjacent loop members and extending from about the first overlappingpoint to about the second overlapping point.
 14. The structure of claim10, wherein each panel further includes a loop retaining portionprovided along the fabric for retaining the loop members.
 15. Thestructure of claim 10, further including a roof portion that is attachedto the panels.
 16. The structure of claim 10, wherein the first endpanel has an interior surface, and the structure further includes anetting provided at the interior surface of the first end panel.
 17. Thestructure of claim 12, further including a door provided in one of theleft or right panels.
 18. A structure comprising:(a) a first panel, asecond panel and a third panel, each of the panels having:a flexibleloop member defining a closed loop and having a first edge and a secondedge, the loop member adapted to assume an expanded position and acollapsed position; a fabric that covers a portion of the loop member;and a left side and a right side defined by the loop member; (b) whereinthe loop members of the first and second panels overlap each other at afirst overlapping point along the first edges of the loop members of thefirst and second panels, and at a second overlapping point along thesecond edges of the loop members of the first and second panels, theoverlapping loop members defining a hinge portion about which the firstand second loop members of the first and second panels are pivotable;(c) wherein the loop members of the first and third panels overlap eachother at a third overlapping point along the first edges of the loopmembers of the first and third panels, and at a fourth overlapping pointalong the second edges of the loop members of the first and thirdpanels, the overlapping loop members defining a hinge portion aboutwhich the first and third loop members of the first and second panelsare pivotable; and (d) an enclosing fabric that is separate from thefabric of the panels, the enclosing fabric extending around the sides ofat least one of the panels.
 19. The structure of claim 18, wherein thehinge portion between the first and second panels further includes astitch line connecting the fabric of the two loop members and extendingfrom about the first overlapping point to about the second overlappingpoint.
 20. The structure of claim 18, wherein each panel furtherincludes a loop retaining portion provided along the fabric forretaining the loop members.
 21. The structure of claim 18, wherein thefirst and second overlapping points are provided near the left side ofthe first panel and near the right side of the second panel.
 22. Thestructure of claim 18, wherein the enclosing fabric is attached to thesides of the panels which it encloses.
 23. A structure comprising:(a) afirst panel and a second panel, each of the panels having:a flexibleloop member defining a closed loop and having a first edge and a secondedge, the loop member adapted to assume an expanded position and acollapsed position; a fabric that covers a portion of the loop member;and a left side and a right side defined by the loop member; (b) whereinthe loop members of the first and second panels overlap each other at afirst overlapping point along the first edges of the loop members of thefirst and second panels, and at a second overlapping point along thesecond edges of the loop members of the first and second panels, theoverlapping loop members defining a hinge portion about which the firstand second loop members of the first and second panels are pivotable;and wherein the first panel is placed flat on a surface.
 24. Thestructure of claim 23, wherein the second panel is also placed flat onthe surface.
 25. The structure of claim 23, wherein the second panel ispositioned at an incline with respect to the first panel and thesurface.